Thermostatic cut-off valve for fuel burners



April 9 1929- l E. A. KLEGA 1,708,446

THERMQSTATIC CUT-OFTl VALVE FOR FUEL BURNERS Filed Oct. l, 1927 Patented Apr. -9A, 1929. i

AUNITED STATES 1,708,446 PATENT OFFICE.

EINAIBLD A. KLEGA, 0I' WESoil` EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB. OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. STUCKE, F PHILLIPSBUBG, NEW JERSEY.

THERMOSTATIC rCTIEF-FB' VALVE FOR FUEL BURNERS.

` Application led October 1, 1927.. Serial No. 223,421.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic cut-off valves for fuel burners and more particularly to an improved thermostatic cut-off valve, the primary object of the -invention being ito provide means whereby the valve controlling the flow of fuel to the burner will be automatically closed upon extinguishment of the burner flame, whether through reduction in the pressure orquantity of the fuel -supplied to the burner, or due to the flame being extinguished by a blast of air, so that whereas,

in the ordinary burner a resumption of the' flow of fuel would take place and very probably with disastrous results, with the present `nvention installed in connection with the urner, this cannot occur, as the valve is automatically closed, through the use -of the thermostatic device embodying the 1nvention, to cut off the supply of fuel until such time as the Valve and the parts, comprising the invention and assembled therewith, are readjusted at the time of again opening the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thermostatic automatic cut-off for burners which will operate with certainty, so that there ill be no possibility of failure Vof the cut-o adjustment to properly function to effect closing of the control valve of the burner, in the event of extinguishment of the name.A

While the accompanying drawlngs and the description which is to follow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawing: 40 i Figure 1 is a top plan view of the automatic thermostatie cut-off embodying the invention, the valve for the burner being shown in open position in full lines and in closed position in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the thermostatic automatic cut-olf embodying the invention, a detent member, which is associated with the valve,being shown in full lines 'in active position and in dotted. lines-in inactive positon.

' In the drawing the numeral 1 indicates a gaseous fuel burner of the ty employed upon gas stoves and ranges an comprising the usual annular hollow body 2 and the diametric hollow portion 3, the Said body 2 is well known, the valve stem of fuel burners iiame at the fuel outlet of the burner. With and the said portion 3 being formed, respectively, with the fuel outlet openings 4 and 5 from which the jets of flame issue when the burner is lighted. The body 2 of the burner is provided, opposite the inner ends of the member 3 thereof with the usual intake pipe 6 which terminates, at its rear end, in the usual cone 7 into the major or rear end of which projects the delivery end of the usual pipe 8 which constitutes a branch of the main fuel supply pipe 9, a cut-off valve 10 substantially of the ordinary construction, being interposed in the pipe 8 so as to control the flow of fuel to the burner. As

of this type are hand operated, and may be opened to a greater or less extent or completely closed so as to suitably regulate and control the supply of fuel to the burner. However, this type of valve presents the disadvantage that, should the pressure at which the fuel is delivered to the burner, lower to such a degree, for a short period of time, that the supply of fuel to the burnerv would be insufficient to sustain the combustion thereof at the burner openings 4 and 5, the jets of flame would be extinguished, and, upon a resumption of flow of fuel at normal pressure, the fuel, in this class of burner, being gaseous, -would escape from the burner openings, to the atmosphere, with likelihood of disastrous results.

in view of the disadvantage above recited, attending the use of cut-ofi' valves of the ordinary type, the present invention contemplates the provision of a thermostatic automatic cut-off valve which will' function automatically to cut of the supply of fuel to the :burner in the event of extmguishment of the this object in view the stem 11 of the valve 1.0 is provided at its upper end with a rectangular head 12, anda detent member which is indicated in general by the numeral 13, comprises an ap roximately segmental 10o flat-sided body 14; w ich is provided with an opening 15 which is rectangular and of dimensions to relatively snugly accommodate the rectangular head 12 of the valve stein 11, a pivot pin 16 being fitted trans- 105 versely through the said body 14 of the detent member and through the said head 12 so that the detent member is mounted upon the head 12 of the valve stem for vertical rocking adjustment, the detent member being of course rotatable with the stem. At one end, namely the minor end, the body 14 of the detent member 13 is provided with a finger piece 17 whereby the detent member may be rocked in a vertical direction upon the pivot pin 16, and at its other end lthe member 14 is of curvilinear or arcuate form and is provided with a series of teeth indicated by the numeral 18. The numeral 19 indicates a coil spring which is anchored at One end as at 20 through an opening in the body member 14- of the detent 13 at a point preferably Aforwardly of the opening 15, and this spring is coiled about the upper end portion'of the valve stem 11 and has its other end bent about the intake branch of the casing of the valve 10 as indicated by the numeral 21 and therefore anchored thereto. The

' spring 19 is so arranged that, being connected at'its opposite endslto the detent member 13 and the intake branch of the casing of the valve 10, it will have a tendency to rotate the valve to closed position,`and preferably the spring will possess such strength as to adapt it toimmediately perform this function upon release of the detent under conditions to be presently explained.

The numeral 22 indicates a supporting member in the form of an o en-sided collar which, is lfitted and clam e by a bolt 23, about the pipe 8 forwardly of the valve 10, and one end of this clamp is extended upwardly and disposed in a vertical plane at right angles to the axis of the pipe 8 and is formed with an opening located opposite the notched edge 18 of the detent body 14. A bracket member 24 is fixed upon .the burner body 2, at a point diametrically oppo- ,site the intake pipe 6 of the burner head, anda rod 25 is anchored at one end, by nuts -26, fitted thereon and bearing against the opposite sides of the bracket 24, in an opening in the said bracket, the other end of the said rod 25 engaging loosely in the opening in the vupstanding or vertically disposed portion of the clamp 22, which portion is indicated by the numeral 27.l

It will be observed, by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, that when the detent 13 is in a horizontal position, the end ofthe rod 25, which constitutes the thermostatic element of the automatic cut-oft' embodying the invention, is adapted to engage between any two adjacent ones of the teeth 18 of the detent 13, when the member 25 is longitudinally extended through expansion and b reason of its being exposed to the heat om the burner 1. The spring 19 is connected with the detent 13 so that it tends to yieldably maintain the detent in a horizontal position and in the same horizontal plane as the thermostatic element 25, and in the use of the device embodying the invention, the linger piece 17 of the detent is grasped and the detent is bodily swung so as to open the valve 1Q lto a greater or less extent depending upon the flow of fuel desired and necessary to produce the required flame at the burner. U on opening of the valve 10, the gaseous uel will enter the burner head 1 and be delivered through the openings 4 and 5 in the usual manner, where it may be ignited, and after the burner has been in operation for a few moments time, the rod 25 constituting the thermostatic element of the device embodying the invention, will be expanded, due to the propagation of the flame in the' vicinity thereof, so as to become lengthened, whereupon `its free end, or in other words, that end which extends through the upper portion 29 of the clamping member 22, and which end is pointed as indicated by the numeral 27, will engage between two of the teeth 18 of the detent member 13, and consequently the said detent member, which has been manually adjusted to this position, and tilted by the action o f the Ispring 19 from the dotted line position .shown in Figure 2 to the full line posit-ion shown in this figure, will be held in locking engagement with the thermostatic element so that, so lon as the thermostatic element remains expanded, or in other words, so long as it is subjected to heat from the fiames propagated at the outlet openings of the burner, the valve will be held in full or partly open position, depending upon the initial adjustment thereof, against the tension of the spring 19. However, in the event of extinguishment of the fiarne and the burner, the cooling of the thermostatic element 25 'and its contraction will result in its rear end 28 being withdrawn from engagement with the .teeth 18 of the detent 13, and at this time the spring 19 vwill act automatically to rotate the valve to closed position, thus automatically cutting off the supply of fuel to the burner and avoiding the disastrous results which would be certain to follow a continuous and uninterrupted 'flow of the gaseous fuel from the burner. It will be understood, of course, that the extent to which the valve is opened, will dependi upon the extent to which the detent 13 is swung in a lateral direction, and, due to the provision of a plurality of teeth 19 upon the forward edge of Vthe body of the detent, the detent is adapted to maintain the valve in various positions of adjustment. It will likewise be evident from the foregoing description and from an inspection of the drawing that, in the event it is desired to raise or lower the flame by supplyingva greater or less quantity of fuel to the burner, this may be readily accomplished by vertically tilting thedetent 13 in approximately the dotted line shown in Figure 2 of the drawing and then rotating the stem of the valve 10, through the medium of the said finger piece 17, until the desired flow is I obtained, and therefore there will be no likelihood of the occurrence of fire or the asphyxiation of persons in the vicinity of the burner. l

It will be evident that inasmuch as the free end of the rod comprising the thermostatic .element of the device is tapered or pointed and enga s between the teeth of the detentmember, t e said end of the ,rod may have suicient play between .the teeth to insure against buckling of -the rod.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is I1. In an automatic thermostatic cut-oil? for burners, the combination with a burner and a valve for controlling the supply of fuel thereto, of means urging the valve to closed position, an expansible thermostatic element comprising a rod located in a p0- sition to receive heat from the burner and anchored at one end, and a. detent t-iltably mounted upon the valve for rotation `therewith and in one position of adjustment engageable with the other end of said rod.

2. In an automatic -thermostatic cut-off for burners, the A, combination with a burner and a lvalve for controlling the supply of fuel thereto, of means urging the valve' to closed position, an expansible thermostatic element comprising a rod located in a position to rece1ve heat from thev burner and xed at one end, and a detent for coaction with thel other end of the rod, the said detent being adjustably tiltably mounted upon the valve and rotatable therewith and having an arcuate series of teeth selectively engageable, in 'one position of ad'ustment of the detent, with the free end o the said rod..

vand a valve for controllin 3. In an automatic thermostatic cut-oi for burners, the combinationwith a burner the supply of fuel thereto, ofan expansi le thermostatic element com rising a rod located in a position to receive heat from the burner and ixedat one end, a detent for coaction with the other end of the rod, the said detent being tiltabl mounted upon the valve and rotatable t erewith and having-an arcuate series of seatsy selectively -engageable with the free end of said rod in one position of tilting adjustment of thedetent, and a spring connected with the detent and normally holding lthe detent in such position, the detent being tiltably adjustable outI of such position against the tension of the spring to be disengaged. from the end of thel rod, and `said spring constituting means acting through the'detent to move the valve to closed position wh'enthe detent is disengaged from the rod.

4. In an automatic thermostatic cut-oi for burners; the combination with a burner and a valve for controlling the supply of fuel thereto, of means urging the valve to closed position, an expansible thermostatic element comprising a rod located in a position to receive heat from I,the `burner and anchored at one end, and a' detent mounted upon the valve for rotation therewith and engageable by the other end of the said rod, the said detent being movable out of engagement with the rod, While the rod is expanded, whereby to permit of closing of the valve by thelurging means.

In testimony whereof I aiix n1 EDWARD A.

si nature. 

